Moving communities forward

In an effort to meet a need in the community and also make a real difference in the lives of those living in the community, our Bloemfontein office in South Africa set out on a mission that would forever change the lives of two elderly ladies.

Our excited Bloemfontein CSI team on site to build housesOur staff set off to Heidedal and Bochabela to complete the homes of two ladies who desperately needed someone to notice and improve their living conditions.

The first team set out to plaster and paint the walls of the home Standard Bank had built for the grateful 92-year-old Elizabeth Tiaas. Elizabeth, who will be turning 93 on the 12th of March, said she could hardly contain her excitement at the prospect of moving into a home without leaks in the ceiling and cracks in the walls. With tears in her eyes and a genuine smile, the matriarch said that she never thought she’d live to the day when she would have another home. Staying true to our tagline, “Moving Forward”, our team arranged with various stakeholders, including small to medium enterprises, to lend a helping hand to make sure that the work of the day is completed that same day.

92 year-old Elizabeth's new home structure, which still needs a few finishing touches before she can move inThe second group visited Bochabela where a sadder, however, equally meaningful tale, unfolded. An elderly lady living at her home in Bochebela only managed to see part of her home being built. She was struck with a short illness and unfortunately died before she could see the complete structure. While the team was visibly saddened by the news, they, in honour of this lady’s memory completed the house so that when the woman’s funeral was to be held at the home, the bulk of the work would have been done.

One of the members from the group said they are looking forward to such events in the future where they can make a difference in someone’s life. She added that working for a company that actively seeks to make a difference, is “such a blessing, because you’re always looking forward to your next event and how you can contribute”.

The team aims to build three more houses for three underprivileged families. Our Bloemfontein CSI team’s prime focus is on providing meaningful solutions to those in need, with a special focus on the elderly, children from underprivileged homes and schools as well as providing support to smaller non-profit organisations.